Derrick Okpoti Charway

Derrick Okpoti Charway is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Department of Sport and Social Sciences. His research focuses on Sport for Development and Peace, Sport Policy Implementation, and Inclusion in African sports contexts.

• University of Ghana (BSc Psychology & Sociology, 2005-2009)
• University of the Western Cape (Postgraduate Diploma in Sport for Development, 2014-2015)
• Seoul National University (MSc Sport Management, 2016-2018)
• Norwegian School of Sport Sciences (PhD, completed prior to 2023)

Charway’s research examines how sports can address Sustainable Development Goals through policy implementation in Ghana and comparative African studies. He investigates barriers to women’s participation in community sports, the role of sports in peacebuilding, and the intersection of technology with fitness culture in Ghanaian spaces.

His publications highlight the policy-implementation gap in Ghana’s sports development, analyze multi-stakeholder approaches in Africa, and explore the impact of digital fitness tools on body ideals. Recent work connects adaptive sports programs in Pakistan to inclusivity lessons in Canada, demonstrating global applicability of sport-for-development frameworks.

Charway previously served as Head of the Research and Projects Section at the University of Ghana’s Sports Directorate (2009-2019), bringing extensive project/sports management experience to his academic role.